Wood meets Tech – as Papira® provides protective packaging for Wilfa

Stora Enso has joined the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment to eliminate plastic waste and pollution at the source. The Global Commitment and its vision for a circular economy for plastic is led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in collaboration with UN Environment. For Stora Enso, signing the commitment is another step to combat the global problem of plastic pollution by providing renewable alternatives. Stora Enso will contribute by cooperating with customers and suppliers to develop circular and low carbon solutions to replace plastic packaging. The materials are based on wood fibres from sustainably managed forests and plantations. This commitment is an example of the increasing demand for alternatives to plastic, also demonstrated by the EU’s recent policy on single-use plastics. Click Read More below for additional detail.

First proposed a year ago, the plan had been expected to be finalized this summer – a timetable the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stuck to despite push-back from some states and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on a separate clean-air rule. Called the “Clean Power Plan” by the EPA, the rule is a centerpiece of a major push by President Barack Obama to help the United States – and the planet – attack climate change by reducing the amount of carbon pollution pumped into the air. The rule was announced in draft form amid fanfare in June 2014, and Obama and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy have talked up its benefits, saying it would be a boon to public health, helping to reduce asthma and other respiratory ailments.

Diversey has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with NatureLoop, a Kuala Lumpur-based organization dedicated to addressing the global plastic waste crisis. The partnership focuses on upcycling single-use plastic waste into new, useful products. Amrinder Sethi, country business director for the Philippines and Malaysia at Diversey, and Brandon Chong Chee Wing, Founder and CEO of NatureLoop, formalized the collaboration. The signing was witnessed by Sherif Fahmy, vice president for Southeast Asia at Diversey, and Siew Zhi Zhou, designer and production manager at NatureLoop. As the global plastic waste problem intensifies, this collaboration aims to transform used plastic containers from Diversey customers into sustainable products like coffee tables, stools, wall clocks, tissue boxes, sports medals, and decorative items. Under the MOU, NatureLoop will collect between 200 to 500 kg of empty plastic containers from Diversey customers each month, with support from Diversey Malaysia. These containers will be processed at NatureLoop's local facilities to create high-value upcycled products.